shtelds



(Hommel.)

H QSHIBLDS.

GAS GENERATING' APPARATUS.

No. 2??,852. Pmemeafmy 15,1883.

- PATENT f OFFICE.

HENRY o. SHTELDs, F TROY, NEW YORK.

GAS-GENERATIMG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATIO fofmngpart of Letters atent No. 277,852, dated May` 15, 1883.

Application tiled May E, 1882. (No model.)

To aZLwhom it may concern:-

A Be it known that I, HENRY C. .SnIELDs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at '.lroy, in the county of Rensselaer' and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iu Gas-Generating Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description ofthcinvcntion, sncli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it; appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means or gas-genvcratin g apparatus for carrying out the process of manufacturing what is termed water-gas for illuminating or heating purposes.

In all water-gas processes now iu use, when hot brick-work is used for fixing the gases, the

`same is heated by gas produced in the genlerator by passing air through the fuel contained inthe same, thus taking a long time, as to minutes, to heat and generate, and in this process the fuel in the center of the generator is heated to such a high degree that a large quantity ot' clinker is formed, which not only destroys the fuel, but diminishes the decom- 4 posing capacity of the generator.

The main objects of this improvement are to accomplish the heating of the refractory material contained in the superheater in less than half the time required to heat the same with the products of combustion or gases taken Y g from the generator, as in some of the present processes now in use. whereby a great saving of i'uel and time is effected, and to obviate the formation ofclinlrer. This I accomplish by constructing the superbeater with a tire-box at the bottom t0 receive the fuel, and heating the superheater by the direct internal combustion of the fuel introduced in the tirebox. It is a 4p great advantage to have an independent furnaee'in the superheater, as the heat is under more perfect control, and is not maintained at the expense ot'. the fuel used in the gas-gen erator, and a very cheap fuel may be used.

`In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a View, partially in section, showing one practical way of carrying out the invention. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of a threeway valve used in connection with my appa- A 5o ratus.

The letter A represents a generator oi a wellknwn construction, provided with the usual grate-bars and ash-pit, and also with the capplate and clamping-dog.

The letter B represents a water-beater with a combustion-chamber, and communicating with the generator by means of a connectingpipe, C. The upper end ot' this pipe is provided with a. valve; a, for opening and closing the communication between the said generator and heater. The generator is provided on the other side with a by-pass pipe, D, Vprovided with a three-way cock, b, and communicating with the top and bottom ot' the generator, as seen. This by-pass pipe is provided with a brauch or inlet pipe, E, leading into the superheater at an intermediate point between the upper surface of the coal-bed and the archway of the refractory material.

The letter F represents a steaurpipe communicating with the upper and lower horizontal portions of the by-pass pipe leading into the generator, and this pipe is provided with two valves, c, arranged above and below the 'F- connection d of the pipe leading from a steam source not shown.

i The letter H represents au oil-pipe leading from an oil-supply attached to the ily-pass pipe, preferably outside of the superheater, for conducting the hydrocarbon into the superheater I, for enriching and combining with the water-gas on its passage to the snperheater.

The letter K represents an exit-pipe for conducting the fixed gas from the superheater to the hydraulic seal. The superheatcr is con' structed of a shell or casing of boiler-iron or other suitable material with a filled space ot' non-conducting material-such as sand, lime, ierefractory lining L', perforated arch lll, looserefraetory material N, fire-box Q, gratebars R, door S, fr introducing fuel, and door T, for cleaning tire-box.

The letter U represents a. blasf-pipe with a suitable blower(not shown )connccted with the heater, generator, and superheatcr by the branch pipes V, supplied with Valves.

Operation lVhen the apparatus is ready to manufacture gas, I build a separate lire-bed upon the grate-bars or bottoni of both the generator and superhcater and open the valves a roc 2 crassa and k then introduce carhonaeeons material, preferably anthracite coal, through an opening in the top of the generator; then ignite the fire-beds and-turn on the blast to the generator aud superheater, so that the currents will ascend through the fuel. The products of combustion in the generator are carried through the pipe C, thwyalvethereof being opened to the combustion-chamber C'ot' the heaterB,for 1o the purpose of heating the water thereof preparatory for a steam-boiler, or otherwise used, and the combustion of these products of combustion is promoted by letting on a lblast to the combustion-chamber. This blast will conr 5 sume any carbonio oxide that may existin the products of combustion from the generator. The produetsof combustion fromits independent tire-bed in the superheater are carriedfup- Ward through the refractory material and eszo cape through t-he valve-opening at the top.

When the carbonaceous material in the genf erator has become sufficiently heated for the decomposition otsteam, and the refractory material in the supcrheater has reached a proper 2 5 degree of heat for fixing the gases, all `the blast-valves of the blast-pipe are closed, also the valves a and kfand the cock of the bypass pipe opened for establishing a communication between the tcp of Vthe generator-and 3o bottornofthesuperheater. Steam isnowpassed into thc bottom ot' the generator, thefuel beingr hottestat this point, thence upward through the fuel, where it is decomposed by coming in contact with the incandescent carbonaecus material, and the resultant product-watergas-is passed through the by-pass pipe and intotheinletofthesuperheater. Atthispointthe inletto the superheater-the hydrocarbons, vapors, or liquid are admitted and mingle with 4o the water-gas on its passage to thesnperheater, and these, as thus combined, are carried up through the hot refractory material of the Superheater, where the chemical combination or union of the gases is e'ected, and then the lxed gas is passed out through gas-exit pipe into the hydraulic main. After considerable gas has been made the temperature of the carbona ceous material in the generator andthe refractory material in the superheater become 5o reduced, when it isy again necessary to restore the desirable heat for manufacturing the gas. The steam and hydrocarbons are now shut od' and the valves a and k and the valves -of the blast-pipes are opened, and the temperatures ofthe genFiator and snperheater are raised-to the required degree in a fewgminutes for re.- peating the operation of making the gas."

Sometimes it may be, and, in fact, is, desirable to reverse the currents of steam into the 6e generator by admitting the same 'at the top thereof and passing it downward through the incandescent carbouaceous material and out at the bottom of the .generator into the by-pass pipe, then into the superheater, through the inlet-pipe, up through the heated refractory miakterial, out at the top ot'.` the superheater into the exit gas-pipe and hydraulic seal-box or main. The objects of admitting the steam alternately` above and below the incandescent carbonaceous material are to maintain a uniformity of 7c heat throughout the fuel contained in the generator and prevent the formation of clinker. When liquid fnel--for example, tar or hydrocarbon-is employed for heating the refractory materialin the superh'ea-ter, it is passed through- 75 pipes 'w and controlled by valves, and is shut o during the fixing of the gases..

In the process described the saperheater is connected 'with the generator, so as to take the gas direct from the' generator to super- 8o heater; but it is obvious that the gas from thev4 generator may be conducted to a gas-holder, then to a. carbnretin'g-machine for carburet iug'the same, and then to the superheater for effecting the chemical union of the gases. 8 5

By heating the superheater and its refractory material contents accord-ing to my process, by introducing fuel into the-tirebox, so

-as to heat by direct internal combustion, a

cheap and an inferior quality of fuel is em 9c. ployed and a great .saving ot' time is accomplished. Y

Long experience has shown that the best quality of anthracite coal is the most economical fuel for the decomposition of steam in a generator; but when the superheater is dependent upon the gas or carbonio oxide of the generator for heating, then it becomes expensive as to the quantity of material and time consumed. too

The form and arrangement of the apparatus may be varied in 'carrying out the process. Hence I do not wish to confine myself to the special apparatus herein described and shown.

- What I claim as my invention, and `desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is; l j

1. In combination .with the generator and water-heater and/their. connecting-pipe, the s u- `perheater connected to lthe genaator by a by pass pipe provided with a three-way valve and I 1 steam-pipe connecting. with the upper and lower parte 'of said by-pass pipe,`thc said pipe being provided with valves for regulating the tlow ofthe steam,`snbstantially as specified.'

2. The combination of 'the `generator' con. 1.5.

necting directly with thev 'combustion -chamber of a water-bestens superheater connecting with `said generatorby a by pass pipe, which is'also counectedwth'the water-heater -by s suitable mpeg-'andthe air-blast pipe hav. nv-

'ing'brauches leading to thecombustion-chamber of the water-heater, generator, and superheater, and the`oil-supply`pipe leading to the by-pass pipe, thelpipes being provided with valves,` respectively, assdescribed, and the rz 5 whole arranged to operate suhstantiallyiu the manner specified.

3. In combination with a generator provided with a suitable combustion-chamber and connecting directlywith the combustion-cham- 13o ber of a water-heater, a superheater charged heater, the generator,and the snpcr'heater, subwith refractory material and provided with an stantially as specitied.

iudependentfuel and combustion ehamberhav- In testimony WhereorC I aiiixv my signature in ing a grate, the said generator being oonpresence Iot" two witnesses. y 5 nected with the superheater at an inter|ne HENRY C. SHIELDS.

diate point between the upper surface of thev Witnesses: coal-bed and the Lchway of refractory mate- D. D. KANE, rial, and an air-pipe connecting with the water- GEO. U. ROSE, Jr. 

